Music-leaf turner



(No Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. A. MEYER. MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

N0.'522,074. Patented June 26,1894.

(No Model.) 2 S11eets-Sheet 2.

F. A. MEYER. MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

No. 522,074. Patented June 26,1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK A. MEYER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

SLPEGIFIC-ATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,074, dated. June26, 1894.

Application filed March 28. 1894:. Serial No. 505,486. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. MEYER,

a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of SanFrancisco, State of California, have invented an ImprovementinMusic-Leaf Turners and I hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same. My invention relates to adevice for turn- 1ng the leaves of sheet music, or any leaves which itis desirable to turn to one side or the other.

It consists in certain details of construction, which will be more fullyexplained by reference to theaccom panying drawings,in which- Figure lis a View of a music rack showing my device attached to it. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the casing containing the mechanism, the top cover beingtaken off. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of my device. Fig. Lisa rear viewof the same. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the sliding block J. Fig. 6 is adetail of the mechanism to return the sheets. Fig. 7 is a verticalsection through the block J and connections. Fig. 8 is a detail of thedevice for the raising and lowering of the rings. Fig. 9 shows theworking of the lug M. Fig. 10, is a detail of the notched post E Theobject of my invention is to providea snnple apparatus which is adaptedto turn the leaves of sheet music to any desired number, to turn theleaves back again for the purpose of repeating either from the beginningor from any point in the piece, and a means for adj usting the armswhich carry the leaves to suit the size of the leaves.

A is a base plate having a central post B upon which are journaled twodrums O and l) at a sufficient distance apart to allow the lntroductionof as many thin fiat plates E as may be desired, these plates carryingthe arms F by which the sheets are turned. Intermediate washers E arefixed between the plates E and extend to the left where their outer endsengage slots in a notched vertical post E which holds them atsuchadistance apart, that the edges of the plates E will enter betweenthem when turned to the left, and thus be prevented from raising orlowering. This retains the plates E in the right position to be engagedby the returning device.

The plates E are shown in the present case as being formed by turningthe plates up at right angles, and then extending them parallel with thebase plate to any desired length. In the present case I have shown theseextensions or arms F as slotted and correspondingly shaped extensions Ffitted with pins which pass through the slots, thus allowing theextensions to be drawn out to suit any sized sheet which it is desiredto turn. Upon the outer ends of the extensions are pivoted the up-turnedarms G which overlap each other and serve to clasp the lower edge of thesheet to be turned As many of the plates E may be introduced between thetwo drums O and D as desired. The uppermost drum 0 is normally turnedtoward the right bya coil spring contained within it having one endattached to the interior of the drum and the other to the vertical postaround which the drum turns and the drum is rotated to the left wheneverdesired, by means of a cord H which passes around the drum, leads thenceover a pulley I at one side of the frame, and from this point to thepoint from which it is operated. If used on an ordinary music rack, thecord leads to a foot lever which is fulcrumed at the bottom of the rack.

Projecting through the top and bottom plates of the drum is averticallysliding block J with lugs J which are adapted to engage theplate E of each arm near the point where the up-turned portion commencesso that when the drum is rotated toward the left by pulling upon thecord, this lug will engage the uppermost of the plates E and will carryit around a semi-circular path, thus turning the leaf fromthe right totheleft. This block J has a free movement in a vertical channel and itscentral portion travels upon a semi-circular ring K which curves aroundthe central post and has its right end attached to a vertically slidingplate L, which moves in guides projecting upwardly at the inner or backpart of the base plate. This semi-circular ring rests upon the uppermostplate E which remains in readiness with its arm F to turn the next leaf,and the lugs J extend just enough below the thickness of this ring toengage this uppermost plate E when the drum 0 is turned by pulling uponits cord H. This operation causes the drum to rotate about the centralpost, and the movement of the block J and its projecting lug carries theuppermost plateE which it has engaged around the center, thus sweepingthe arm F around and turning the leaf which is connected with it. Theleft end of the semi-circle stops just short of the point where the armsrest when they are turned, and as each of the plates E passes the end ofthe semi-circle,the semi-circle is allowed to drop upon the next plateby reason of the sliding plate L which carries it and which moves freelyby gravitation in its guide, thus allowing the semi-circle to drop thethickness of each plate and intervening washer after the plate haspassed beyond its end. In this manner all the plates E and the arms Fconnected with them may be moved about a semicircle, turning the leaveswhich are connected with the arms successively to the left until all oras many of the leaves are turned as may be desired. The arms arereturned to their original position by means of a lug M projectingdownwardly from the plate M which plate has a vertical slide m travelingfreely in guides N. These guides project upwardly from the outer ends ofextensions d of the top and bottom plates, forming the lower drum D.This lower drum stands normally with these extensions turned to theleft. It contains a coil spring similar to that described within thedrum 0 and this spring retains the drum upon the left side, in the samemanner that the drum 0 is normally retained upon the right side. A cord0 passes around the drum D and thence over adirection pulley P fromwhich the cord passes down to a foot lever similar to that over whichthe cord of the drum 0 passes. Whenever this cord is pulled it acts torotate the drum D toward the right, and if one or more of the arms Fhave been turned to the left, the lug M on the-plate M which is carriedby the standards or guides on the extensions of the drum D, will engagethe arms F and will force them all around to their normal position atthe right side, thus turning all the leaves connected with these arms totheir original position. The plate M rests upon a semi-circular ring Qupon which it travels in making its circuit to return the levers to theright side. This ring has its left end free to move up and down, andcarry the plate M with it, the plate sliding in its vertical guides asbefore described. The right end of the semi-circle Q is attached to avertical sliding plate R moving in guides by the side of the verticallysliding plate L. This vertically sliding plate is normally held down bya spring S.

T is a lever fulcrumed in the post U which is pivoted .to turn upon avertical axis exterior to the semi-circular ring Q at the right side ofthe base plate A. This lever has its inner end bent at right angles andslotted so as to clasp the end of the semi-circular ring Q near itspoint of connection with the vertical slide R. Upon the opposite side ofthe lever T is a projecting plate T.

V is a vertical plate having notches W, into any one of which theprojection T may be entered by swinging the fulcrum post U so as to turnthe inner end of the lever to the right. It is disengaged from thesenotches by turning the parts to the opposite side by means of a lever Ufixed to the post. The object of this device will be more fullyexplained hereinafter. As the semi-circular ring K under which theplates E of the arms move when they are turned from right to let t, isdescribed as dropping after each of the plates E has passed beyond itsfree end, it will be manifest that in order to return the plates beneaththis ring, the ring must be raised from the point to which it has beenallowed to drop by the successive passages of the plates E over the endof the ring, to 1ts normal position close to the bottom of the drum 0and above the plates E. In order to do this the cord 0 passes beneath avertical pulley X which is located between the drum D and the guidepulley P over which the cord changes its direction. This pulley X is ournaled upon a vertical lever Y fulcrumed behind the drums and essentiallyin line with the vertically sliding plate L which carries thesemi-circular ring K. One end of the lever connects with this slidingplate L, the other is acted upon by a spring which normally throws it upand depresses the end of the lever which is connected with the slidingplate L and correspondingly depresses the semi-circular ring K, so thatas the plates E and the turning arms F are successively turned to theleft in turning the sheets of music, as each plate E passes off the endof the semi-circle the semi-circle and the slide L drop the thickness ofone plate and washer, the pulley X remains at its lowest point, bearingupon the cord 0 and bending it downward out of a straight line so thatif all the arms'have been turned around the slide L will have dropped tothe bottom, and will rest upon the point of the lever Y, which is inreadiness to raise it when the returning cord is pulled. Now, when thecord 0 is pulled for the purpose of returning the arms, the firstoperation which takes place is to cause such a tension on the cord 0between the drum D and the pulley P that it will be drawn into a nearlyor quite straight line, and acting upon the pulleyX it raises it up.This correspondingly raises the lever Y and with it the plate L whichcarries one end of the semi-circle K, and this action lifts the wholesemi-circle up so that the continuation of the pull on the cord 0 willcause the lug M on the carrying plate M to engage the lever arms F, andswing them around to the right, while the plates E from which theyproject will all pass beneath the semi-circle K. When the arms have thusbeen returned to the right the cord 0 is released and the spring withinthe drum D again coils it upon the drum and returns the carrying plate Mwith its lug M to the left side in readiness to again return the armswhen they have been moved to the left.

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If it be desired to return only a portion of the leaves to the rightafter the music has been turned in playing it through once, asin a casewhere it is desired to repeat from some page subsequent to the first,the required number of leaves may be first turned as previouslydescribed, to the point from which it is desired to repeat thesubsequent leaves and the fulcrum post U is then turned about its pivotso as to release the projection T from the upper notch W in the plate V,and it is allowed to drop by reason of its connection with thevertically sliding plate R which carries the ring Q and with which thelever arm T is connected as previously described. It drops in thismanner until it is arrested by the ring K near its attachment to theslide L, and is thus opposite the notch V in the plate V whichcorresponds with the next leaf to be turned to the left, and thevertical post U is then turned until the catch or projection T engagesthe corresponding notch. This leaf will always be turned back to theright by the reversing device, and carry with it all leaves which havebeen turned subsequently. It will then be found that when the operationsare performed as previously described for turning the leaves back afterthey have once been turned forward in performing the piece, only thoseleaves will be returned which correspond with the remaining notches inthe plate V. By turning the vertical post U until the clutch at the endof the lever T is released from the plate L and ring K, and pressingupon the lever T, the latter may be raised to any one of the notches Wand all the plates and arms below that particular notch will then bereturned by the rotation of the pulley D, while those above willremainin the position to which they were first turned. By raising thecatch T to engage with the upper notch WV, the mechanism will be in suchshape that the ring K will be raised as previously described, when thepull is made upon the cord 0, until it is above the plates E, and themovement of the carrying plate M will then act to return all of the armscarrying the sheets of music. The mechanism is all inclosed within asuitable casing which protects it from dust and observation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a music leaf turner, a series of flat plates journaled to turnabout a central post having upwardly and outwardly turned arms adaptedto carry independent leaves of music, a drum turnable about the centralpost, having a cord wound around it by which it is turned to the left,and a spring contained within the drum by which it is normally held atthe right side, a horizontally semi-circular ring surrounding thecentral post below the drum, a vertical block sliding loosely throughthe extension of the drum at one side, having a lug or lugs adapted toengage the turning plates below the ring whereby they are turnedsuccessively from right to left as herein described.

2. A music leaf turner consisting of a drum, a cord by which it isrotated to the left about a central post, a spring by which it isreturned to the right when released, a series of flat plates turnableabout the central post having extensions outwardly which are adapted toengage the leaves to be turned independently, a semi-circular ringconnected with a vertical slide at the rear and extending around thecentral post above the plates which carry the turning arms when saidplates are in their normal position at the right, a vertical slidingblock movable in a slot in the extension of the drum having a lugproject-ing below the semi-circular ring sufficiently to engage thefirst of the plates situated below it, where by said plate and its armare turned around the central post until the plate passes the free endof the semi-circle, and allows the latter to drop the thickness of theplate and interposed washer whereby the carrier is re turned in positionto engage the following plate.

3. In a music leaf turner, a drum rotatable about a central post havinga sliding block and lug, leaf carrying arms projecting outwardly fromflat plates surrounding the posts and situated beneath the drum, asemi-circular ring. connecting with a vertically slid ing plate at oneend, having the other end free-so that when the leaves are turned, thering is allowed to drop successively the thickness of each plate andwasher after it has passed, a second drum movable in the oppositedirection having a carrying plate attached to it adapted to engage thearm carrying plates from the opposite side, and a cord whereby said drumis rotated to move the plates in the opposite direction and return theplates and arms to their original position.

4. In a music leaf turner, the oppositely moving drums with cordsadapted to rotate them, one in a direction to turn the leaves to theleft and the other in a direction to turn the leaves to the right, flatplates journaled around a central post upon which the drums turn, andbetween the upper and lower drums, a vertically sliding block connectedwith the upper drum having alug adapted to engage the plates and turnthem successively to the left, a semi-circular ring situated between theupper drum and the arm carrying plates, having one end connected with aver tically moving slide, and the other terminating at a point beyondwhich the plates move when the leaves are turned whereby the ring isallowed to drop the thickness of each plate and washer after the leafhas been turned and the plate has passed its free end, a returning plateconnected with the lower drum, a lever fulcrumed at the rear of theapparatus having its end connected with the vertical slide which carriesthe semi-circular ring and having a pulley journaled upon it which actsnormally to depress the cord whereby a pull upon the cord first acts tostraighten the cord and raise the lever, the slide, and the semicircularring, to a position above the arm car-V rying plates, so that the latterare returned beneath the ring.

5. In a music leat' turner, the oppositely rotating drums turning abouta central post and cords by which they are moved, a series of platesturnable about said post between the, drums, and carrying arms by whichthe leaves of music are independently turned, a semi-circular ringsurrounding the plates and central post having one end connected with aVertically moving slide and the other end terminating at a point wherethe plates will pass beyond it in turning the leaves to allow it to dropsuccessively the thickness of a plate, a vertically sliding carrierconnected with the upper drum adapted to drop with the ring and engageeach successive turning plate and arm to turn a leaf, a secondsemicircular ring of larger diameter connected with a second verticallysliding guide plate at one end, and acting as a guide and carrier forthe returning plate which is actuated by the lowermost drum, a leverfulcrumed in a yertlcal post which is turnable about its point ofsupport, said lever having a clutch at the end adapted to engage theVertical sliding carrier of the outer ring when the post is turned 1none direction, and having a projection upon the opposite side adapted toengage notches in a stationary vertical post upon the opposite side,whereby the ring is held at any desired elevation.

6. In a music leaf turner, flat plates turnable about a central post andhaving arms adapted to engage and turn the leaves successively, andwashers interposed between the turning plates having extensions at oneend which engage notches in a'standard exterior tothe plates, so thatthe extensions receive and support the turning arms after the leaveshave been turned.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. FREDERICK A. MEYER.

Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, J. A. BAYLESS.

